The Predator Fan Reviews

[SM]

The characters and banter were pretty cool.  Rory seemed uneven.  Perhaps some of the criticism of the portrayal of autism/ Aspergers might've been mitigated if there was some dialogue about it being a spectrum, and that this was an example of one kid, not a representation of autism as a whole.  But my knowledge of that kind of thing is very layman.  He just seemed at the start as very prone to bad reactions to loud noise, but later on seems much like an average kid who doesn't seem to have much problems with lots of gunfire.

And there was just too much, 'wait, what?' towards the end.  I like the concept of extracting DNA to upgrade themselves, but haven't considered how it fits in with the other films, and not entirely sure about the execution yet.  Would seem to tie in to Predators a bit.

[The Old One]

The loonies and Fugitive I enjoyed, nothing else though.

[TheLoneRanger]

Seriously ? The first leak of the emissaries caused one of the biggest fan uproar about this film...

Which I really don't get.

These people who'll lose their shit just because *gasp* some Predators might find reason to forge a convenient alliance with humans just sound incredibly narrow-minded to me.

Did the human-Predator alliance work in AVP? Not really. Does that men the concept as a whole is trash? Of course not.

I actually kinda liked the idea of some Predators being so against what the Upgrade was doing that they were willing to work with us to stop it - ironically, it feels like that would have painted those members of the species as being more in line with the noble Predator concept that these same fans seemingly treasure so much in the previous films. Sadly it seems the entire idea was killed by the rage from that minority. And boy did the resultant reworking hurt the film in the end.

I agree with this.  I think the idea of noble traditional non genetically modified Predators coming to earth to help us (sans stupid iron man esque predator armor) would've been a great idea to center the movie around.

There's some great concepts floating in this film but it's lost with all the Shane Blackness (often corny), forced tension deflating humor, obsession with autism and PTSD while doing nothing meaningful or profound with it.  Along with all the 4th wall breaking superhero movie Marvel Studiozation of the once very serious action horror source material.

It does in ways retroactively change the nature of the predators but it's been acknowledged that the upgrade Assassin was an outlier, cheater and a renegade.  Even if he's taking orders from his clan.

But the concept they had here, if executed better would've been awesome.  It would've been like in a way what 2010 Predators shot for with a bad blood rule breaking new species of super predator.  But instead of 3 super Predators vs humans and one OG pred. 

The inverse would've been so much better with Fugitive and 2 emissary human helping Predators defending us as a species vs the upgrade Assassin Predator.

Also would've served to make the Assassin Pred look even more menacing.  His coolest scene is him tearing apart Fugitive effortlessly.  Viscerally.

If he had 2 more OG style Preds to dominate like that, would've made him much more menacing.

Hadn't seen the movie since I was massively disappointed in the film on first viewing besides a few entertaining scenes and moments.  But I left being so disappointed that I hated it.

Rewatched it the other day.  And besides a ton of things tonally, Olivia Munn, mythos betrayal, the kid, the pred dogs ... there is some things I absolutely enjoy.

The chemistry and characters from the loonies.  Easily more likable than the cast from Predators.  I could root for these dudes and they were believable even with their mental illness as masculine former soldiers.  Adrien Brody, Topher Grace?  Lol please stop.

Boyd Holbrook is solid.  Keegan is funny.  Trevante Rhodes likable.  All these guys are awesome.  Thomas Jane could've been used even better. 

But this movie absolutely belonged and should have focused on Sterling Brown's character.  He steals every scene and looks to be having a blast.  Engaging in every scene.  His pathetic exit was 

And the upgrade Pred is pretty cool.  It's not on the level of the first two obviously.  But it's more unique and entertaining than Predators.  That's for sure.

[Voodoo Magic]

But this movie absolutely belonged and should have focused on Sterling Brown's character.  He steals every scene and looks to be having a blast.  Engaging in every scene.  His pathetic exit was 

So much this^

If they just would have focused on him, Olivia and Jake Busey focusing on trying to keep the Fugitive contained on the Stargazer compound while the Assassin was trying to break his way in, we maybe could have ended up with a really compelling movie!

[TheLoneRanger]

But this movie absolutely belonged and should have focused on Sterling Brown's character.  He steals every scene and looks to be having a blast.  Engaging in every scene.  His pathetic exit was 

So much this^

If they just would have focused on him, Olivia and Jake Busey focusing on trying to keep the Fugitive contained on the Stargazer compound while the Assassin was trying to break his way in, we maybe could have ended up with a really compelling movie!

Totally agree.  Throw in witness Boyd Holbrook and Trevante Rhodes military characters as interrogated suspects at the Stargazer base and that's all you need.

To be honest I don't get the obsession of the last two predator films obsessing with the idea of soldiers having to be the top prize or protagonist of these films.  The makers think that alone relates it back to the original.

P2 is the best predator film after '87 and it has nothing to do with soldiers, military, or jungle.  It takes the core essence of the original and applies it to new setting / new prey / new antagonists.  Adds to the lore, and brings in OWLF government agency.

Love the idea of the reg Preds honorably helping humans with possible technologies to fend off an invasion from a dishonorable bad blood crew of Predators.  Not just one suit.

Your idea with Sterling Browns character as central protagonist would've been f**king awesome.  And would've made Assassin Pred horrifying.  Him finding his way through stealth and force into a tightly locked down Area 52 Stargazer compound.  Taking out security soldiers and even having your basic human alliance preds: Fugitive, Emissaries scared shitless?!

Now THATS a great predator movie. 

No metal armor suit.  No autism subplot.  No kids.  Central protagonist being the governmental agency through Brown's charming yet arrogant character. 

And hell for the SJW crowds your lead would be a black man, you'd still have one note annoying Olivia Munn in there showing her worth, and you'd have OMG another black man in Rhodes as a subsidiary character.

[The Old One]

The entire DNA concept is nonsense, so I agree.
But I found the entire cast of the Loonies quite entertaining, but especially Trevante Rhodes and Thomas Jane.
Boyd Holbrook's good but miscast, but yeah I dig the idea of Sterling K. Brown as a sort of antagonist/protagonist as the focus.

[slipknotpredator]

My face while watching The Predator for first time...



I believe this was one of the most disappointing movie experiences in my life. Remember walking out from the theatre in a state of denial. Franchise destroyer.

[Voodoo Magic]

My face while watching The Predator for first time...



I believe this was one of the most disappointing movie experiences in my life. Remember walking out from the theatre in a state of denial. Franchise destroyer.

I think if Fox didn't order those cuts it darn well might have been. 

[Samhain13]

I believe this was one of the most disappointing movie experiences in my life. Remember walking out from the theatre in a state of denial. Franchise destroyer.

Pretty much the same here.

[The Old One]

Ironically, just as the storage chamber the Fugitive ship contained-
we don't know the when the Predator franchise revival is, or even the status, lost until further notice.

[Voodoo Magic]

Ironically, just as the storage chamber the Fugitive ship contained-
we don't know the when the Predator franchise revival is, or even the status, lost until further notice.

True, but in regards to devastating entries to a franchise, we could have been given a main character franchise killshot like in Godfather 3, Alien Resurrection or The Last Jedi that were devastatingly criminal to their main characters Michael Corleone, Ripley and Luke Skywalker... but we didn't.

See, with Predator, the main character is the Predator and completely demystifing them with friendly Predators in camoflague suits working with humans and riding tanks and smoking cigarettes could have been a killshot too. Instead, The Predator is just a forgettable popcorn movie that no one will really remember in five years other than many saying "oh yeah, that one sucked!" What we got was a forgettable movie, instead of a film that f**ked up a franchise.

That's why I am saying thanks to Fox. Demanding reshoots resulted in less franchise damage then it could have been in my opinion. Tremendously so.

[KiramidHead]

Eh, I'll take a giant battle involving a tank over a bunch of guys walking in the woods any day. Besides, the movie bombed, so the franchise is likely dead anyways.

[Voodoo Magic]

Eh, I'll take a giant battle involving a tank over a bunch of guys walking in the woods any day. Besides, the movie bombed, so the franchise is likely dead anyways.

It didn't bomb. It made $160 Million worldwide theatrically on an $88 Million Budget. It just didn't do great.

Now The Thing prequel... $27 Million worldwide theatrically on a $38 Million budget? Yeah, that bombed.

I expect Disnox to put Predator and Alien on Hulu anyway. Got to do something with all these franchises they paid so much money for.

[SiL]

It didn't bomb. It made $160 Million worldwide theatrically on an $88 Million Budget. It just didn't do great.

"Didn't do great" still feels overly generous. Not even doubling your production costs is usually seen as a financial failure. They likely lost money factoring marketing.

[Dingbat]

Traegers death was really confusing, I remember in the cinema I didn't understand at all, I thought he was still alive for a while as I tried to wrap my brain around what actually happened. It just seemed so silly, how could he die like that? was olivia Munns' caracter trying to distract him intentionally so he would shoot himself?